Seal-envelop.



No. 846,345. PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

W. H. REED.

SEAL ENVELOP.' APPLICATION FILED .nmz, 190s.

TH: NoRms rsrtxs cm, WASHINGTON, n. c- 7 WILLIAM HENRY REED, OF

PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEAL-ENVELOP- Specification of Letters Patent.

ratented March 5, 1907.

Application filed January 2,1906. Serial No. 294,140.

To (LZZ whom 712% may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY REED, a citizen of the United States,residing Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a Seal- Envelop, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention is an improvement in envelops, and relates moreespecially to that class which are provided with a seal as an additionalsecurity to prevent tampering with the envelop and its contents.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple, convenient,and secure envelop and seal for the purpose of sending through the mailsor otherwise transporting valuable papers, moneys, &c., whereby if theenvelop and seal are intact the receiver of same may be positively surethat the contents of the envelop have not been molested duringtransportation.

The invention therefore contemplates the production of a construction ofenvelop and seal which will prevent access to the contents of theenvelop without first destroying either the envelop itself or the sealapplied thereto and in which any attempt to remove the seal would resultin destroying the envelop or defacing it to such an extent as to bequickly detected.

With these general objects in view the invention consists in thecombination, with an envelop, of a metal clasp having a portion insertedin the envelop behind the flaps thereof and a portion pressed againstthe outer side of the envelop, said latter portion having points orteeth which are forced through the flaps and are clenched on the innerside thereof.

The invention further consists in the peculiar construction of theenvelop and the seal used in connection therewith, all as hereafterfully described, and more specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification,Figure 1 is an elevation showing the invention. Fig. 2 is a similarview, the outer portion of the metal clasp being bent back and portionsof the envelop broken away to show the end flaps and disposition of theclasp with relation thereto. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through theenvelop and clasp.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the metal clasp. I

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the clasp or seal.

application of the I Like letters and numerals of reference inl dicatelike parts in all the views of the draw- In carrying out my invention Iemploy a metal clasp A, constituting the seal of the envelop, said claspcomprising a plate provided at one end with points or teeth a and at itsother end adapted for turning or clenching said teeth when the clasp orplate is bent upon itself. The points or teeth a are preferably formedintegrally at the sides and one end of the plate and are disposed atsubstantially right angles to the latter. The width of that portion ofthe plate which carries the teeth is narrower than that portion, as a,against which the teeth are brought when the plate is bent upon itself,so that the teeth or points at the sides may strike within the edges ofsaid portion a, and the said plate is bent at one side its center on theline o Fig. 4, so that the end tooth may strike within the opposite endof the plate. (See Fig. 5.) It will be readily seen, therefore, thatwhen the plate or clasp is bent upon itself and pressed together theteeth a being forced against the portion a of the plate will be turnedor clenched. This provides that the teeth or points may be forcedthrough several thicknesses of paper or other materialfor instance, theflaps of an envelopand will be clamped or clenched against the innerside thereof.

To provide that the teeth or points a may be turned inward, concaveddepressions, as a are formed in the anvil portion a of the clasp,presenting inclined surfaces, which receive the ends of the points andturn them. These depressions are in the present instance struck orstamped in the plate, those adapted to receive the points or teeth atthe sides of the clasp extending transversely across the plate, whilethe depression to receive the tooth at the end is disposedlongitudinally, as shown.

In applying the clasp to an envelop the closing-flap Z) of the latter isprovided with a slot, as 0, through which the toothed portion of theclasp is passed, the other or anvil portion a of the clasp being firstinserted in the envelop to lie behind the several flaps at the meetingor overlapping portions thereof, so that when the closing-flap b isclosed and the 4' toothed portion of the clasp pressed down upon theenvelop the teeth will puncture through the superimposed flaps andstriking against the curved surfaces of the anvil portion of the claspsaid teeth will be clenched against the inner side of said flaps. Suflijcient pressure maybe exerted by the hand of the operator to produce thisoperation; but j the teeth will be more efl'ectively clenched by the useof a hammer or other instrument apl plying a sharp blow to the outerportion of j the clasp.

It will be readily seen that when the clasp is applied to the envelop inthe manner hereinbelore described the said clasp will securely connectthe several 'llaps of the envelop so i that access cannot be had byopening any ol said 'llaps without lirst destroying the seal and that asthe teeth are turned or clenched against the inner side of the 'l'laps,where ac cess cannot be had for prying them open, the clasp cannotpossibly be untast-ened without injuring the 'llaps to such an extentthat detection would be evident. By this application of the clasptherefore an envelop could not be tampered with by the usual means ()ibreaking the customary gum or wax seal and afterward renewing it,inasmuch as any attempt to remove this seal would necessarily result ininjury to the flaps.

In opening the envelop after the seal. has been found intact one end 01said envelop is cut open in the usual manner.

It will be understood, of course, that the seal or clasp could beapplied to the conventional form of envelop; but in order that the claspmay have a more secure hold on the flaps of the envelop such hips arepreferably made wider than. usual, especially the end flaps, and inorder to better protect the contents of the envelop from the anvilportion of the clasp when the latter is applied after the closing-flapis sealed by the usual gummed edges a gua'd-stiip is employed, suchparticular form of envelop being shown in the drawing and now described.

In making up the particular form of envelop herein shown the end flapsI) and b are made wider at their overlapping ends, (see Fig. 2,) and theside flap I) is also extended (see dotted lines, Fig. 1,) and saidflaps, as well as the closinglap 7), may be gummed as usual. Thisprovides a more secure envelop, as it not only gives a better hold forthe seal or clasp A, but also prevents the contents of the l sac,

drawn out from between envelop from being of the seal or clasp.

the flaps at either side Furthermore, to provide a pocket for the anvilportion a of the seal or clasp A the end flap N, which is the inner flapof the envelop, is formed with an extension 6 bent upon said l'lap sothat the iree end of the former will extend above the upper edges of thellaps 1), b and 6 (see Fig. 3,) as well as above the slot 0 in theclosing-flap b, so that said projecting end will serve to guide theanvil portion of the clasp or seal into the pocket. Of course the guardor guide strip 1) may be dispensed with in case the anvil portion of theclasp is inserted in the envelop before the closing-flap is closed.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that I produce a term ofsecurity-envelop that is simple and cheap in construction, effective inuse, and especially adapted for the purpose o'l forwarding valuablepapers, moneys, &c.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is

The combination, with an envelop pro vided with flaps having wideoverlapping ends, a slot in the closing-flap and a guardstrip formedintegrally with the inner flap and projecting above the flaps and slot,of a seal or metal clasp for said envelop comprisii'lg a plate bent uponitseh"? to form two integral portions, one having spaced-apart teeth atits side edges and outer end with those teeth at the sides arranged inopposite pairs, ami the other or anvil portion of the clasp havingtransverse concave depressions and a depression at its end, thetransverse depressions corresponding in width and arrangement with thepairs of teeth and all the depressions each having surrounding flat surfaces against which the flaps of the envelop bear while being puncturedby the teeth, herein shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses. I

W ll JLIAl l HENRY REED.

\Vitnesses:

W. M. MCCLURE, EDWARD SCOTT.

